First Issues - 1877 to 1880

page 10.1

This is the tenth display in a series intended to show the first issues of every country. That includes the first stamp and (where issued) the first commemorative, airmail, charity, official and post due.

A group of islands 500 miles west of Africa in the Atlantic Ocean. Portuguese colonies first issued stamps in 1868: there were four in Display 8 (1868-70), one in Display 9 and there will be two in this display. No official stamp has been issued. The Islands gained independence in 1975.

San Marino

1st August 1877SG1 Sc1

Commemorative1894 SG29 Sc29 New govt. palace and new Regent

Airmail1931 SG164 Sc-C1

Charity1917 SG55 Sc-B1 Hospitals for Italian Soldiers

Post Due1897 SG-D38 Sc-J1

This is an independent state in northeast Italy, described in Wikipedia as an ‘enclaved microstate’, its area is 24 square miles and the population around 30k. It is the world’s smallest republic and remained neutral in both World Wars. No official issued.